


The Deep End

by Nomolosk



Series: Family Matters [3]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Family Drama, Family Reunions, Fluff, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:26:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26915845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nomolosk/pseuds/Nomolosk
Summary: Emilie Agreste, recently awoken from a decades long coma, finds that her family is broken.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Emilie Agreste/Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth
Series: Family Matters [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1938691
Comments: 14
Kudos: 123





	The Deep End

**Author's Note:**

> A little insight into how Emilie might react to and view the estrangement between father and son that occurs in "The Things We Do For Family."

Emilie Agreste went down the steps of the plane and onto the tarmac, anxious to see her waiting husband and son. She’d been told it had been a little over ten years since she’d fallen into her coma, but she felt fine. Her reflection in the bathroom mirror in the airport on her way back had not aged much, but she put that down to persistent lack of facial expressions and no outdoor exposure. 

She was a little afraid she would no longer match Gabriel in that respect… would she now look like a trophy wife? And Adrien… ten years. She knew he would be handsome- he’d been such a beautiful boy- but what kind of man had he become?

The lawyers who had come to make the trip with her had brought a nurse (though Emilie was feeling fine- just a little weak), a lot of paperwork, and the explanation that both Gabriel and Nathalie had been involved in an accident on the way to the airport and that Adrien had elected to stay behind and make sure they were alright. Emilie had been disappointed, but could understand that. At all events, it was a positive sign of Adrien’s character. 

So she was both looking forward to and dreading the reunion. She wanted to see her boy and her man again, but…

She recognized Gabriel at once, though his grey hair startled her. They weren’t that old, surely! But it was still styled the same, and though his face was lined around the mouth and he had what looked like a permanent furrow between his brows, his smile was the one she remembered- tender and appreciative.

“Emilie,” he murmured as they first grasped each other’s hands, and then embraced. “My dear…”

“Hello, Gabriel,” Emilie whispered. “I’m so sorry I was gone so long.”

His hold on her tightened before he drew back. “As long as you don’t let it happen again,” he said mock sternly, and she laughed. Then she looked around. Nathalie was standing just behind Gabriel, and she smiled at her, but…

“Where is Adrien?”

Gabriel’s smile faded. “He’s just inside, waiting with his fiancee, a Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng.”

“Inside?” Emilie asked. “Why didn’t he- they- come out with you?”

Gabriel took a deep breath. “It’s too complicated to go into here. Come inside- you can see Adrien again and… I’ll explain it all later.”

Emilie frowned, but allowed herself to be led into the small private airport. The lawyers had elected to fly her into a private airport just outside of Paris, instead of using the international airport, which would have been difficult to exclude the news media from.

Emilie knew she would have to face the press eventually- some of them had actually flown out to Tibet, but the lawyers had advised her to say nothing but that she was happy to be going home. Which had the merit of being true.

Inside there was a small lounge area and a tall, blonde young man immediately stood with an expression of equal anticipation and hesitance. Beside him, a young woman of mixed heritage with black hair and an elegant outfit stood as well. She hung back with a smile as Adrien came forward.

“Mother,” he said, holding out one large hand. Emilie, remembering a much smaller hand he used to tuck confidingly into hers, felt tears rise up. She took his hand and pulled him closer, into a hug. He was tall enough to rest his chin on the top of her head now. 

“Adrien, oh my boy,” she breathed, rubbing his back. “I’m so sorry I was gone for so long.”

“I missed you,” he said, and she could hear the tears in his voice as well. But when he finally pulled back to look at her, he was smiling. Ever so gently he tugged on her hand and she followed him over to the young woman he was with.

“Mother, I’d like you to meet my fiance, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Marinette… this is my mother, Emilie.”

The young woman’s smile had softened and she looked like her eyes were wet as well. “It’s such a pleasure to meet you, madame,” she said, holding out her hand. “I’m so happy for you both- all.” Her voice was neither high nor low, but somewhere in the middle, and Emilie thought that under the right circumstances it might convey more than a bit of command, as well.

She took Marinette’s hand and shook it. “It’s nice to meet you, mademoiselle. I’m… quite frankly I’m staggered to find my son taller than me, much less old enough to be engaged! But I’m looking forward to getting to know him again, and I’m sure that whoever he chose to marry is… well. I expect we’ll have plenty of time to get to know one another.”

Marinette’s smile widened and she nodded. “I’m looking forward to that as well. Adrien is a wonderful person- I couldn’t ask for a better partner.” There was the slightest emphasis on that last word, which confused Emilie a little bit. But the sudden twinkle in Adrien’s eye meant it was probably some kind of inside joke. No doubt Emilie would hear the story behind it soon.

“Won’t you come home with us?” she asked. “We could all have tea…” she trailed off as Adrien’s expression suddenly hardened. He closed his eyes briefly, even as Marinette reached out and touched his arm, frowned and then smoothed out his expression with a shake of the head. He smiled gently.

“Not today, Mother,” he said. “I wish… but I can’t go back to that house. Honestly, this has nothing to do with you- it’s between me and Gabriel. But I know Nathalie got you a new phone, and I have the number. My contact information should also be in there. I’ll call you tonight, alright? We can set up a time to meet-” he broke off as Emilie’s eyes suddenly overflowed. “Mother? Are you alright?”

“I- I… me?” Emilie found she was shaking. “What about you? What’s wrong that you won’t come home?” She’d expected that he would have his own apartment now, especially since being introduced to a fiance, but… the way he’d said “that house” seemed to indicate a rift between father and son that struck her to the heart.

Adrien’s mouth tightened. He led her over to one of the benches of seats and sat down. She sank down onto a seat beside him. Marinette sat on his other side. 

“Mother... Father and I are estranged right now. I won’t go into the details here, but believe me, I have very good reasons for being angry with him.” He put out a consoling hand. “It’s nothing to do with you, I promise. I love you and I’m so happy that you recovered and are back with us. I-” he took a deep breath and she could once again see tears swimming in his eyes. “I thought, for a long time, that you weren’t coming back. I’m so happy to be proven wrong. And even more that you didn’t… didn’t abandon me.”

“Oh no, oh Adrien… I never could! I never would have,” Emilie said, throwing her arms around him. She held him for a long moment or two, and felt warm wetness through the material of her thin coat. Finally Adrien pulled back again and she let him. 

“I want to keep you all to myself, but that wouldn’t be fair,” Adrien said, smiling weakly. He took a deep breath then and said, “Father and Nathalie are waiting for you.” His eyes flicked up and beyond her, and though they dulled as they did so, when he looked back at her his expression was warm. “I’ll call you tonight, alright?”

Emilie still wasn’t happy to find out that her husband and son were not on good terms, but…

“I suppose that will have to do,” she said, rising again. “I love you, Adrien.”

“I love you, too,” he said, and folded her into another hug. “You’ll have to get used to this,” he said, with a teasing note. “I missed out on ten years of hugs... from my mom.” The slight pause before he finished the sentence did not go unnoticed. Emilie felt her heart clench again.

“I will be happy to give you all the hugs you could ever want,” she said in return, making herself a promise that whatever was wrong between father and son… she would fix it.

\----

Emilie rose as a now-familiar black haired young woman walked into the cafe. Paris had changed in many respects over the last decade- it seemed like everything was ‘smart’ or had a touchscreen now, and everyone had acquired an odd aversion of butterflies, of all things. People seemed more contained, as well- less likely to engage in arguments. Shops and businesses she’d known before were either larger, moved, or gone entirely, and the amount and array of tourist kiosks and carts had skyrocketed, and there seemed to be a fad for ladybug or black cat themed merchandise. 

This little cafe was one of the few she remembered to survive, and though the decor and menu had changed, they still offered some of her old favorites. She came here when she needed a dose of what she privately called ‘normality’ though she supposed others would call it nostalgia. 

Either way, she knew this was going to be a difficult conversation and she needed a comforting place to have it in. She hadn’t remembered the mansion being so cold, both in temperature and in atmosphere… since she’d come home she had started wearing more cardigans, sweaters, and suit jackets than she had before.

“Marinette, thank you for coming, my dear,” she said, as Marinette smiled and pulled out a chair.

“Of course! It’s one of the nice things about my new job- I can take personal time without feeling guilty.”

Emilie’s smile stiffened a little. That comment, like many others, were little hints as to how her future daughter-in-law regarded Gabriel, and they were… telling.

“That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about,” Emilie said, after Marinette had ordered. “Why you decided to resign, I mean.”

Marinette’s smile remained serene. “Oh?”

“Yes…” Emilie trailed off. Marinette wasn’t making this easy for her. “I… I’ve been trying to discover just why Adrien hates his father so much. But all Gabriel will say is that Adrien is blowing one small thing out of all proportion, and all Adrien will say is that Gabriel didn’t deserve his obedience and defense all of these years. Neither of them will tell me exactly what the incident was, and neither is interested in reconciling right now. But Felix and Bridgette’s wedding is getting closer and I know we’ve all been invited. I would hate for something to happen and for their special day to be ruined.”

“I doubt a little family drama will ruin their wedding. After all, when it’s all said and done, they will still be married afterwards, and Felix knows the situation between Adrien and Gabriel,” Marinette said, laying a comforting hand on Emilie’s. “But I understand your frustration.”

Emilie let out a sigh. “I was hoping I could ask you for some clarity. Do  _ you _ know what it’s all about?”

Marinette looked into the distance, pursing her lips and eventually sighing. “I suppose it’s only fair. But Adrien hasn’t told you himself?”

“No. All he says is that it all comes down to a birthday gift that Gabriel stole.”

“Ah. The Scarf,” Marinette said, in a way which made Emilie hear the capitals. She sighed again. “Well, I’m afraid I’m partially to blame for that particular incident, though it was a sin of omission rather than commission on my part.” She took a sip of her tea and continued. “That first year you were missing, Adrien got Chloe’s help to enroll himself in public school.”

“Really?” Emilie asked, interested. “I thought Gabriel did that himself.”

Marinette shook her head. “No. And in fact, from what Adrien says, he had to run away from home to try and attend classes, and Gabriel sent Nathalie and his bodyguard after him to bring him back home that first day.”

Emilie blinked.

“Anyway, Gabriel relented and let him attend school, but he always made it difficult for Adrien to have time with the friends he made there. In fact, the first birthday after he joined us, he barred Nino from the mansion just for asking him for permission to throw Adrien a birthday party.”

Emilie frowned. This… did not sound like the Gabriel she knew- the man she’d married. They had decided together to homeschool Adrien, but she’d always tried to make it fun for him, and let him spend time with Chloe- though it suddenly struck her that Chloe had been the only other child his age that he’d known. 

“Anyway, Nino got akumatized over that-”

“What?”

Marinette glanced at her in surprise. “Nino got akumatized. He was the… um, I think he called himself the Bubbler.”

“What is that?”

Marinette’s eyebrows rose. “You don’t know? I thought you knew about Hawkmoth by now?”

Emilie shook her head. “No, I’ve been trying to refamiliarize myself with the business. Who or what is Hawkmoth?”

Marinette took a deep breath. “Wow. Okay! Hawkmoth was a supervillain who terrorized Paris for ten years.”

Emilie gaped at her. “W-what? How?”

Marinette smiled wryly. “Well, he rarely appeared in public himself. His powers seemed to focus on sensing and feeding off of people’s negative emotions- anger, frustration, betrayal… He sent out butterflies infused with negative energy that sort of infested the distressed person’s personal belongings, and turned them into superpowered villains. We called those akumas, though that term is synonymous with the butterflies he sent out as well. The akuma would go on a rampage, and Ladybug and Chat Noir would have to fight them and break or destroy whatever the butterfly had infested in order to turn them back into ordinary people. There were weeks and months at a time when attacks would happen nearly every day, and then there were dry periods where we wouldn’t have an attack for weeks. But he always came back, and then there would be another supervillain for the heroes to fight.”

Emilie sat back in her chair. “But… but everything is so  _ normal _ . There’s no evidence of fighting at all! No ruins, no… no damage!”

Marinette’s smile widened. “Yes well, that’s the beauty of our heroes! When Hawkmoth made his first akuma, two heroes appeared that same day to fight against him. Ladybug has the power of luck on her side, and her power could reverse all the damage when the fight was over. Chat Noir had the power of bad luck, and he could destroy anything with a single touch- it was a power that came in handy in more than one fight. I got to see it first hand, more than once. My best friend Alya created the LadyBlog and she would run after akumas to get the fights on camera.”

“Really?” Emilie leaned forward. “What happened?”

Marinette cocked her head. “Weren’t we talking about Adrien and Gabriel?”

“Yes… yes. You’re right. This is all… ancient history, clearly. I’ll want to know more about it later, though. Please, go on.”

“I’ll send you a link to the LadyBlog- it’s sort of an archive of most of the heroes' activity, now that Hawkmoth is gone. Anyway- Nino was one of the first friends Adrien had made at school, and when Gabriel refused to let Adrien have a birthday party, Nino got akumatized. And here’s where I come in,” Marinette said with a rueful smile. “I’m afraid I had quite the enormous, debilitating crush on Adrien when he first came to school with us. I was sooo awkward and embarrassing around him. Anyway, I had made him a scarf for his birthday- not really a big deal, I tend to make gifts instead of buying them whenever I can. But when I tried to give it to him, Chloe pushed me out of the way, and I didn’t have the courage to try again. So I dropped it off at the mansion during our lunch hour. Nathalie said she would give it to him.”

“Wait- Chloe pushed you out of the way?” Emilie asked, stunned. “Just…” she made a pushing motion with her hands.

Marinette nodded. “We weren’t… on good terms. Nowadays we tolerate each other for Adrien’s sake, but I don’t think we’ll ever be close. Anyway, Nino, as The Bubbler, used his power to capture all the adults in Paris in huge bubbles that floated up into the sky. Then- and I’m not kidding,” Marinette interjected with a little chuckle, “he actually proceeded to throw Adrien a birthday party in the mansion’s courtyard!” 

She laughed again. “It seems so ridiculous thinking back, but… I suppose even as an akuma, Nino had Adrien’s back. Anyway, he captured most of Adrien’s classmates, plus a couple of other kids from our school and… well, threw a party. I was there, too, and when we were all herded through the mansion, I remember seeing my gift on Nathalie’s desk. So I was content that Adrien would get my present eventually. Anyway, Ladybug and Chat Noir defeated The Bubbler, and everyone- all the adults- went back to their jobs, but that was a few hours later, of course. Ladybug can fix the damage, but she can’t turn back time. The next day at school, Adrien showed up wearing the scarf, and I was so happy he liked it! But then he told Nino that his father had given it to him, and that it was the coolest present he’d ever received- much better than the fancy pens he’d apparently gotten for the last two years.”

Emilie winced at that. She remembered having to remind Gabriel about Adrien’s birthday several times before her trip to Tibet. That had been when  _ Gabriel _ was really starting to take off as a brand, and he’d been so busy…

Marinette sighed and swirled the remainder of her tea in her cup. “I should have told him the truth, that the scarf was from me, but… he was so  _ happy _ . I didn’t want to take that away from him, especially since we all knew… Anyway, after that Adrien would always defend Gabriel whenever one of us would try to tell him that his father was being unreasonable or too harsh.”

Marinette stopped, as if that explained everything, but Emilie was still confused. “I’m sorry, I still don’t really understand.”

Marinette smiled sadly. “Adrien took that scarf to heart. To him it was proof that Gabriel cared, that maybe he just didn’t know how to show it, or something. But he recently learned that  _ I _ made that scarf for him. Apparently- he told me this, after he talked to her- Nathalie didn’t have time to get the usual pen after being stuck in a bubble all afternoon, so she panicked and stole  _ my _ gift, saying it was from his father.” Marinette sighed again. “Adrien feels like all those years he spent thinking Gabriel actually cared about him were wasted. He feels like he could and even should have stood up for himself and what he wanted a long time ago. If Gabriel could deny his friends the right to throw him a birthday party and yet refused to put in the minimal time and effort it would take to choose a gift himself, and if on top of that, he terrorized his staff so thoroughly that they were willing to steal from children on his behalf... maybe that’s a father he doesn’t want to have.”

Emilie sat back in her chair again, feeling stunned. 

“What,” she said, the word coming out sounding almost strangled. She took a sip of her tea and resisted clearing her throat. “What else can you tell me about their relationship.”

Marinette grimaced. “Mrs. Agreste… Emilie… you should really ask  _ them _ about that. I can only give you one perspective, and to be honest, that perspective isn’t in the least impartial. I admire Gabriel’s fashion sense and his artistic eye, but I  _ love _ Adrien. I have ever since he was kind to me when I’d been a jerk to him first. Right now Adrien is… very conflicted. But he’s also sure that cutting off contact with his father is the right thing to do, and I support him in that decision. Gabriel is not, and never has been, a warm-hearted man. It may be that the only way to save their relationship in the long run is to prove to Gabriel that  _ he _ needs to  _ want _ to save it. In my view, Adrien has been doing all the work there for years. It’s time for Gabriel to step up and put in some effort.”

“How can he when Adrien has cut off contact?” Emilie asked faintly.

Marinette smiled, not unsympathetically, and shrugged. “I’m afraid he’s going to have to figure that out for himself.”

Emilie closed her eyes. Marinette’s accusation that Gabriel had never been warm-hearted… that wasn’t the Gabriel  _ she _ knew. And yet… the mansion was so  _ cold _ . Nathalie never laughed anymore, and only rarely smiled. When Emilie visited the offices, the employees were polite and professional but, despite being in the fashion industry, they didn’t show any evidence of  _ passion. _ At least, not when they were around her. When she was there they were perfect employees, but didn’t offer up anything of their personal selves.

And Gabriel’s designs, the latest ones he’d shown her… they, too, lacked something. What had happened to him?

“I think,” she said slowly, and swallowed. “I think I… have a lot to think about.” She tightened her lips into a thin smile. “The man you describe is not the one I married. Perhaps I can work at bringing out the man I married once more, and then move forward from there.”

Marinette leaned forward and rested her hand on Emilie’s. “I’m sorry. But if anyone can do it, I’m sure it would be you.”

“I should certainly hope so,” Emilie said, trying for a bright and playful note. Inwardly, she knew bringing Gabriel to a sense of his failures as a parent was going to be a long, hard road.


End file.
